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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet '1. D. MASON. ELECTRIC RAILWAY TROLLEY.

No. 488,022. Patented Dec. 13 1-892.

WITNESSES:

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID MASON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y, ASSIGNOR TO THE SPRAGUE ELECTRICRAILWVAY AND MOTOR COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRIC-RAI LWAY TROLLEY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 488,022, dated December13, 1892 Application filed November 11, 1889- Serial No. 329,892. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, DAVID MASON, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York city, in the county and State of New York, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Electric Railways, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of electric railways in which anoverhead conductor is used and a contact device carried by the car makesan underneath contact with said conductor.

My invention relates more especially to the support for the contactdevice, my object being to provide a simple and effective constructionfor such support, whereby the contact device will be permanently held inposition against the conductor, and whereby such contact devicecan beadjusted vertically and laterally, so as to be adapted for changes inthe height of the conductor and for variations in the line of theconductor.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of a railwaycar embodying my invention;Fig. 2, a side View of the lower portion of the trolley-support; Fig. 3,an irregular vertical section on the line-X X of Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a frontView of a portion of the support attached to the roof of the car; Fig.5, a front view of the upper portion of the vertical support; Fig. 6, aside view of the ratchet for adjusting the spring, and Fig. 7 a view ofthe adjusting-key.

A represents an electric-railway car, which, as will be understood, isprovided with an electric motor carried upon the car for propelling it.

Upon the roof of the car is placed an arched standard B, which is madeof the arched shape in order to conform'to the arched roof of the car.At its middle part the standard Bis formed into a sleeve C. The standardhas feet D, by which it is attached to the roof.

The contact device is a grooved wheel or trolley E, which runs on theunder side of the wire F, which is suitably supported overhead. Thetrolley E is mounted in suitable bearings at the end of a long rod G,preferably made of iron, thelower end of which is formed stem I entersthe socket C and is adapted to turn therein, and above the stem I thereextend two side pieces K, which extend up above the coiled spring H andeach of which carries at its upper end a head L, provided with a curvedslot M. A bolt N extends across through the slots M and forms a stop forthe trolley-rod G. One of the side pieces K has formed upon it orattached to it at the center of the coiled spring a disk 0, which hasslots P on its face, so that the disk forms a ratchet. A key Q passesthrough the disk 0 and through the center of the coiled spring, theinner end of such spring being attached to the squared portion R of thekey, and the end S of the key passes through the other side pieceK andhas coiled upon it a spiral spring T, by means of which the cross-pin Uof the key is held in the slots P of the disk 0. The

key has a ring V, through which a suitable tool may be passed forturning the key to tighten the spring.

It will be seen that the trolley pole is carried by a flexible resilientsupport, which presses it constantly against the wire F, it beingprevented by the bolt N from swinging past the vertical position. A lineW is attached to the top of the pole, and by means of this line the polemay be drawn down to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 or toany intermediate position, so that it can be brought down as close tothe roof of the car as may be necessary, where by reason of passingunder bridges or tunnels or other obstructions the height of theoverhead wire is changed. The spring itself permits the trolley to adaptitself to slight variations in the height of the line or to slightirregularities in its direction. In addition the rod may be swungentirely around in the socket O by means of the line W, whereby itsinclination may be reversed when desired. The current may be conveyedfrom the trolley E to the car by the wire Y, or the current may, ifdesired, be conveyed by the pole itself.

WVhat I claim is- 1. The combination, with an electric-railway car andan overhead conductor, ofa contact device making underneath contact withinto or connected with a coiled spring H. A

said conductor, a pole carrying said contact device, and a flexibleresilient support for said pole, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with an electric-railway car and an overheadconductor, of a contact device making underneath contact with saidconductor, a pole carrying said contact device, and a flexible resilientsupport for saidpole adapted to turn around a vertical axis,substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with an electric-railway car and an overheadconductor, of a contact device making an underneath contact With saidconductor, a pole carrying said contact device, and a spring carryingsaid pole and supported from the roof of the car, substantially as setforth.

4. The combination, with an electric-railway car and an overheadconductor, of a contact device making an underneath contact with saidconductor, a pole carrying said contact device, and a coiled springsupporting said pole and connected with the 'car, substantially as setforth.

5. The combination, with an electric-railway car and an overheadconductor, of a contact device making an underneath contact with saidconductor, a pole carrying said contact device, and a spring coiled on ahorizontal axis and connected with the car and exerting an upwardpressure upon said pole, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination, with an electric-railway car and an overheadconductor, of acontact device making an underneath contact with saidconductor, a pole carrying said contact device, and a spring coiled on ahorizontal axis, supporting said pole, and connected with the car,substantially as set forth.

7. The combination, with an electric-railway car and an over-headconductor, of a contact device making underneath contact with saidconductor, a pole carrying said contact device, and a spring coiled on avertical plane, supported from the roof of the car, and exerting anupward pressure upon said pole, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination, with an electric-railway car and an overheadconductor, of a contact device making underneath contact with saidconductor, a pole carrying said contact device, and a spring coiled in avertical plane, carrying said pole, and supported from the roof of thecar, substantially as set forth.

9. The combination, with an electric-railway car and an overheadconductor, of a con tact device making underneath contact with saidconductor, a pole carrying said contact device, a flexible resilientsupport for said pole, and a stop for said pole, substantially as setforth.

10. The combination, with an electric-railway car and an overheadconductor, of a con:

tact device making underneath contact with said conductor, a polecarrying said contact device, a coiled spring carrying said pole, and avertical support rising from the roof of the car and carrying saidspring, substantially as set forth.

11. The combination, with anelectric-railway car and an overheadconductor, of a contact device making underneath contact with saidconductor, a coiled spring carrying said contact device, and means foraltering the tension of said spring, substantially as set forth.

12. The combination, with an electric-railway car and an overheadconductor, of a contact device making underneath contact with saidconductor, a spring coiled on a horizontal axis and exerting upwardpressure 011 said contact device, and means for altering the tension ofsaid spring, substantially as set forth.

13. The combination, with an electric-railway car and an overheadconductor, of a contact device making underneath contact with saidconductor,'a coiled spring carrying said contact device, and a key andratchet foraltering the tension of said spring, substantially as setforth.

14. The combination, with an electric-railway car having an arched roof,of an arched standard on said roof and a trolley-support carried by saidstandard, substantially asset forth.

15. The combination, with an electric--railway car and an overheadconductor, of a contact device making an underneath contact with saidconductor, a pole carrying said'co'ntact device, and a coiled springcarryingsaid pole and connected by a swiveling connection with the car,substantially as set forth.

16. The combination, with an electric-railway car and an overheadconductor, of a contact device making an underneath contact with saidconductor, a pole carrying said contact device, and a spring coiled on ahorizontal axis carrying said pole and connected by a swivelingconnection with the car, substantially as set forth.

17. The combination, with an electric-railway car and an overheadconductor, of a contact device making an underneath contact with saidconductor, a pole carrying said contact device, and a spring coiled on ahorizontal axis, exerting an upward pressure onsaid pole, and connectedby a swiveling connection with the car, substantially as set forth.

This specification signed and witnessed this 7th day of November, 1889.

DAVID MASON.

A Witnesses:

A. W. SEELY, WILLIAM PELZER.

